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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. lean — thin
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. deal — to handle
  5. rule — a law
  6. staff — employees
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. content — happy
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. content — the amount
  14. staff — employees
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. perch — the fish
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. staff — a stick
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. rule — government
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. rush — hurry
  23. lean — to bend
  24. pitcher — a jug

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com